EconomyTax
GST collections jump 22.9% to ₹2.31 lakh crore in October as imports surge 42%
Festive spending and a sharp rise in tax on imported goods lifted October's gross GST to ₹2,31,290 crore, with net revenue after refunds up more than a quarter.
Key points
- Gross GST in October rose 22.9% to ₹2,31,290 crore, against ₹1,88,125 crore a year ago.
- Tax on imports climbed 42.2% to ₹72,246 crore, outpacing domestic revenue growth of 15.8%.
- Net revenue after refunds was up 25.6% at ₹2,03,356 crore.
The government collected ₹2,31,290 crore in gross GST in October, 22.9% more than in the same month last year, according to provisional data released by the Finance Ministry on Sunday. The jump, from ₹1,88,125 crore in October 2025, came as festive shopping around Dussehra and Diwali fed through to tax receipts.
The biggest push came from goods brought into the country. GST on imports rose 42.2% to ₹72,246 crore, from ₹50,796 crore a year earlier. Revenue from domestic transactions grew more slowly but still strongly, by 15.8% to ₹1,59,044 crore.
How the money came in
Of the gross total, central GST brought in ₹42,935 crore and state GST ₹51,340 crore, up from ₹36,547 crore and ₹45,134 crore a year ago. Integrated GST, which is levied on goods moving between states and on imports, came to ₹1,37,015 crore, of which ₹64,769 crore came from domestic trade.
Refunds to businesses rose a modest 6.5% to ₹27,934 crore. That left net GST revenue up 25.6% at ₹2,03,356 crore, against ₹1,61,900 crore in October last year. On a net basis, customs-linked GST grew 56.2% to ₹58,319 crore, while domestic net revenue rose 16.4%.
The states
Maharashtra remained far ahead of the rest, with ₹35,150 crore, up 13%. Karnataka collected ₹15,922 crore (up 18%), Gujarat ₹13,516 crore (up 16%) and Haryana ₹11,529 crore (up 17%). Uttar Pradesh and Bihar each grew 24%. The sharpest rise among the states named was in Assam, where collections climbed 47% to ₹1,934 crore.
The year so far
October’s surge lifted the running total for the financial year. Gross collections from April to October reached ₹14,77,569 crore, up 13.2% on ₹13,05,213 crore in the same seven months of 2025-26. Net revenue for the period stood at ₹12,69,486 crore, 12.6% higher.
The strong month will be welcome news for the Centre and the states as they plan spending for the second half of the year. The next set of figures, for November, is due on 1 December.